[IC] Sacred World (Engel x The Kraken)

[Engel]

Avani felt all fuzzy inside as Kasai just stared at her body. It was a great feeling to have the person she desired silenced because she had undressed in front of her. She donned a warm smile when Kasai asked for something to drink, so predictable yet lovely. Her apparent nervousness was so cute too, as if she hadn’t seen Avani in her underwear or naked before. She almost got up to get Kasai something to drink just because of how her reaction had made her feel, but she was stopped by a different request for the “house special”.

“I hope you’ve got plenty of time then, miss.” She ran a hand through Kasai’s hair and twirled it in her fingers. “The special will take a while.”

Avani grinned as Kasai put her hands on her hips and pulled her further towards her. “Oh very much so. I hope you’re not afraid of using your hands or getting them dirty though.” She said and shivered when Kasai kissed her skin. “But it doesn’t seem like it. I’m tempted to wear nothing but underwear at your place if this is going to be your reaction.” She gasped when Kasai began to nibble on her neck. “Mhm…”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of hours later she kissed Kasai a final time before rolling out of bed to get dressed. She put on a green shirt and another pair of pants, then actually got a few boxes out of a closet and began to put clothes into them. She had taken the boxes from her work at the harbor, but now she wondered if she would be returning there anytime soon. If she had a say in it she wouldn’t, and with the money she’d be making for a while she wouldn’t have too either. It bothered her a bit that she couldn’t really tell them that she was quitting, because Kasai would come with her and she didn’t want her too.

Once she had packed enough clothes and some other stuff in the boxes, she turned to Kasai still in her bed. “I’m ready to go, babe.” She said and pulled the covers off of the other woman, and to her pleasant surprise she was clearly not as ready. Avani let out a cat call whistle. “Maybe you could have put more clothes on while I was packing, instead of relaxing in my bed. Did you have a tough day at work?” She laughed, figuring she’d probably contributed to it. “Anyway, I’ll carry some of these down and then you can throw the rest out the window to me. Lock the door when you leave.”

Avani picked up two of her boxes, and left her apartment. She put them in Kasai’s car, went to the window of her apartment and caught the last boxes that was thrown out to put them in the car as well. It wasn’t like she had anything easy to break or too heavy in them. It was faster this way.

She waited at her motorcycle for Kasai, hoping that she would remember to lock the door when she exited the apartment. She didn’t have to wait too long, and soon they were driving to Kasai’s apartment. Avani was not going to leave her motorcycle at her own place when she didn’t know how long she’d be gone. It was her most valuable possession.

[The Kraken]

Kasai laid in the bed with her eyes closed after Avani had gotten up. She hadn't had many opportunities to relax or alleviate any stress in the last week, so she took advantage of the situation and stayed put while she listened to Avani shuffle around her apartment. A groan escaped her when Avani returned and said she was ready to go.

"Back to work already... Okay okay, I'm up." She sat up in the bed and nodded when Avani told her to throw the other boxes down to her. Supposing she should put on her clothes, she got up and got dressed before grabbing the other boxes and walking to the window. When she opened it and looked down, she found Avani waiting at the bottom. "Heads up." Kasai tossed the other boxes down the side of the building and then closed the window.

Kasai glanced around to make sure she didn't forget any clothing items than might have gotten strewed across Avani's apartment during their little break. Finding nothing, she turned to head towards the door after grabbing her keys. Kasai locked the door behind her and headed down to her car. She got in and pulled out in front of Avani, leading them down the road towards her own apartment.

The trip didn't take all that long, but it was long enough to enjoy the drive. When they arrived, Kasai grabbed a couple boxes from the back of the car and waited for Avani to park her motorcycle and grab the rest. Heading up the stairs, Kasai unlocked her door and then closed it behind them.

"Welcome to your temporary home. Make yourself comfortable," Kasai sat the boxes she was carrying down in the floor and then went to put her own stuff down. "My turn to change, work clothes aren't the most comfortable." Kasai shrugged her shoulders and then went to her room, setting her cuffs, badge, and keys down on her nightstand before finding a t-shirt and some more comfortable pants to change in to.

Walking back out to the living room she pointed back at her room. "You can put your clothes in the closet if you like, there should be plenty of room in there." Kasai walked towards the kitchen and started a pot for tea, then found her favorite spot on her couch to plop onto. She only allowed herself a few seconds of pure relaxation before she sat up a bit and looked at Avani.

"So... back to business as usual. If we're gonna keep you out of jail then you've got to bring some pretty good dirt back to the department. When is the next time you are supposed to meet with the gang?" Kasai had to think about what would be the best way to keep protection detail on her without blowing either of their covers, for that could end badly for both of them.

[Engel]

“Temporary, huh?” Avani smirked. “You felt the need to point that out, I see, and here I was thinking we had something special so you might ask me to move in for real one day.” Kasai had left the room as Avani mumbled to herself though. She shouldn’t put too much meaning behind what Kasai had said, maybe she planned on getting a bigger apartment if she ever found someone she wanted to live with. Maybe Avani would have moved on by then.

She put the boxes down for a moment and considered sneaking a peek on Kasai changing clothes, but took a seat instead and relaxed. There was no need to be all-over her girlfriend constantly, and if she was too needy while they lived together Kasai might reconsider their relationship. There would be plenty of time to screw Kasai, but she would want to find a balance between being herself and allowing them both to have some alone time every now and then.

When Kasai returned and told Avani that she could put her clothes in her closet, she jumped back up on her feet with a smile and that fuzzy feeling inside. Kasai let her put her stuff with her own! That was some kind of progress, right? Avani began to move the boxes into the closet, but it didn’t take long before Kasai brought up work again.

“Calm down, babe. Let me put my boxes in your closet first.” Avani said. She picked the final box up and put it with the others. She left them unopened for the moment, as she’d already done enough packing and moving for the day without adding the chore of unpacking. Besides, if she wanted Kasai to chill she better answer her question sooner rather than later.

Avani returned to the living room, and laid down on the couch with her head in Kasai’s lap. “I love this view.” She said, caressed Kasai’s cheek and laughed. The woman’s bosom was just above her face, and behind those hills lay Kasai’s sweet face. “Anyway, they just want me to help with preparations tomorrow for some big score. I’ll do some minor task in comparison and get paid.” She smiled and let her fingers move from Kasai’s cheek to touch her lips. “Obviously though, I will have to get on the team again for the big score. I did tell them I’d leave, but it’s not the first time...” Avani sighed and removed her hand from Kasai’s face, then turned her head away from her while keeping it in her lap. “It’s the first time I had any real motivation though, but she caught me red-handed and here we are.”

[The Kraken]

"I wish I could calm down but alas, this is the life I live." Kasai sighed and rested her hand on Avani's arm, gently massaging as she thought. It shouldn't be too hard for Avani to get back in the ranks with the group, especially if they had such a history together. The last thing Kasai wanted to do though was jeopardize her safety. It wasn't a question of if she could handle herself, it was just a situation that Kasai preferred be entirely avoided.

"Real motivation, huh? I'll mark that down as a win in my book." Looking down at Avani, Kasai frowned. "Hey, don't worry. We can get this all figured out. It's never too late." Kasai smirked, "Who knows, if you do pretty well hiding your cover with the gang then you might even be good enough to become a spy." Kasai laughed. Trying to lighten the mood around the conversation seemed to help ease the bitterness of it.

Kasai's hand continued to lightly brush back and forth, her mind wandering a bit with a few moments of silence. What she really wanted was to just take Avani and get her away from all the bad things in life. Kasai believed that she had good intentions underneath the rebel facade. She only hoped that she could steer her down a better path after all of this was over with.

"Have you thought about what you'll do after all of this is done? I know it all happened so fast, but..." She stopped and pursed her lips together, not wanting to seem pushy. It was difficult for her to find her words, but she gave up on trying to sugar-coat anything she was going to say and instead went for honesty. "I just think that under all that 'bad-girl' and 'criminal' crap you try to show off is a good heart with good intentions. You don't have to run away from all of this when it's over."

Kasai didn't know if Avani was still thinking about leaving Republic City after she got her end of the deal with the police department. She couldn't blame her, it would be easier to get away and start over somewhere else. Especially with the amount the PD was willing to pay for the information, it would be enough to buy a new life. Granted, not a lavish one.

"Now look at me, I've gone all mushy and annoying." She laughed and then sighed.

[Engel]

She feigned a smile at Kasai trying to cheer her up. Yes, they could still get all of it sorted out, but she’d rather not have had to do that in the first place. At least there wouldn’t be any more dark secrets between them. It was probably better that Kasai learnt the truth early on in their relationship than later on or from someone else. She doubted it was the kind of person a proper cop had imagined themselves ending up with though.

“Oh yeah, I’d make such a great spy.” Avani said. rolled her eyes, but smiled when she heard Kasai’s laughter. “But I wouldn’t want you to be all alone at home while I use my incredible charisma to seduce information out of crooks. Besides I probably couldn’t work for the law very long.” She’d lose respect for herself if she did. Well, unless she was paid extraordinary well, then she may be able to overlook the part about selling her soul.

She closed her eyes and relaxed under Kasai’s touch, turning her face back towards the woman and pushing it against her stomach. Avani sneered at Kasai calling her bad girl style crap. She didn’t mind the same comment about being a criminal, but really, she was a bad girl whether Kasai wanted to accept that or not.

“Sorry to disappoint you, babe, but I am a bad girl. You think I fell in with criminals cause I had good intentions?” She laughed at the thought. “No, I was looking out for the only one that mattered at the time - myself. All I wanted was money, and I didn’t care much about what they had me do to get it. Maybe the me I am now would do things differently than my old self, but it doesn’t undo my actions.” She moved her hand to Kasai’s throat and caressed it, in a manner she meant to be playfully threatening. If those two could even be combined in the first place. “I thought you liked me for being a bad girl, babe? I’m hurt.” Avani joked.

The original question was a good one though. What was she planning to do after she finished this job and got her money? She’d planned to join a fighting tournament before Kasai had caught her. She might still do that, but there was no reason to stay in Republic City for it.

“All of this?” Avani asked. “I don’t really have much left in this city after I betray the gang, and my close friends passed away a while back. You’d be the one thing left for me in Republic City. Don’t get me wrong, I love our hours of casual sex, hearing you scream my name and that face you make when…” She contorted her face in an expression meant to mimic the expression Kasai had in those moments, and burst out laughing. She calmed down to continue speaking after a moment. ”Well, it’s all good, but is that all there is to it for you?” Avani grinned and removed her hand from Kasai’s throat to squeeze her bosom. “And I like it when you’re mushy. It’ much better than stuck up cop.”

[The Kraken]

Well, at some point in time she would have to learn that despite her belief that there was good in everyone, maybe there wasn't after all. Although, Kasai still didn't believe that Avani was fully rotten to the core. Maybe she was, but some of her actions didn't make that truly believable, while on the other hand some of them did.

"Well they do say opposites attract..." Kasai shrugged and raised an eyebrow as Avani's hand grazed her throat. Kasai wondered what things she had done if she truly was the "bad girl" she was claiming to be. But... maybe she didn't want, or rather need to know those things. Some things could be overlooked, others... well she would have a hard time keeping a straight face. Best to not pursue it, at least for the time being.

Kasai punched Avani in the arm for mimicking her, narrowing her eyes down at her as she did so. "I do not look like that." She held the expression for a moment longer before sighing and losing the scowl. "Oh, come on now. I might be a stuck up cop but I don't think I'd be so willing to keep you out of jail and move you into my place so I can 'protect' you if you were just a casual hookup."

Really, she'd already overlooked the criminal activity in favor of saving Avani's ass from an arrest. Twice now, though granted the first one was kind of her fault to begin with. She supposed that didn't make the situation any better either, but she couldn't be blamed for just doing her job this time.

For Kasai, Republic City was the only place she had ever known. Her family was here. Her friends... were... here. Her job was here. She knew her duty was to protect the people of the city. That was all she knew how to do, without structure she couldn't operate. Spontaneity wasn't exactly a very big part of her vocabulary. For that, she almost envied Avani. It must be freeing to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want without a second thought. But she was comfortable with her life, it was just as freeing to her at least.

"Well, you've got a while I guess to think about what you want to do. For now we've both got a job to do if we want to see our paychecks. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Besides the part where we can both be killed, ya know. You more than I. But hey, we stared death in the face before, again couldn't be any more difficult." Kasai chuckled. It wasn't really a laughing matter, but it made her feel a little better about the whole thing.

[Engel]

“Ouch.” Avani said, and stretched her tongue out towards Kasai. “Domestic abuse on our first day living together.” She joked, knowing that Kasai hadn’t put any real strength behind it or that she’d ever deliberately hurt her. “Hey, what do I know? Maybe you’re just really desperate for the touch of another female and I’m the only one you know.” Avani giggled, but soon grew quiet and simply observed Kasai that seemed lost in thought.

If they weren’t a casual hook-up, she wondered where their relationship was going and where it was going to end. If it was going to end at all. She felt better with Kasai than she had with anyone else before. Maybe it would be worth it to try to tone down the bad girl style for her, even if she didn’t want to get rid of it entirely. Besides, if she was going to do that Kasai should lose the cop crap when Avani was around too. It was just another job, there was no need for Kasai to spend her entire life working.

“You could come with me if I did leave.” Avani responded. “If we don’t die I mean. I feel like we’ve made ourselves deserving of a vacation at the very least. There’s no need to make any specific plans to return anytime soon either. We should travel the world while we’re still young.” She frowned and caressed Kasai’s cheek once more. “Well, while I’m young anyway. Maybe we’d find a place where we liked it better, who knows…”

She sat up in the sofa, and laid her arms around Kasai. “I don’t believe I’m attracted to you because you’re my opposite though, babe. You’re freaking hot, and much more fun to be with, fight with and joke with than anyone else I know. You don’t just roll over. I think we’re quite similar, just with different beliefs and different paths in life up till now.”

Avani turned Kasai’s head towards herself, leaned into her and kissed her desperately for a moment that felt like it couldn’t last long enough. “I’ll roll over for you if you ask me nicely…” She whispered seductively in the woman’s ear.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first day as a rat went by without any problem for Avani. She helped the gang get the resources they needed to pull off their big score, and got paid the amount they had agreed on. That should have been it, but as she needed to get in with them for the actual score she stuck around the gang’s hideout for a while after that. Once she asked if she could help out with the big score itself, they laughed and made jokes about how she couldn’t stay away for long, how she always came back like a good dog. It made her feel a lot better about selling them out further down the
road.

They were wrong about her. She may not be able to prove it to them unless the pigs forced her to testify in front of the gang members, but she’d prove it to herself and that was all that mattered. Avani told Kasai everything about the first day, even if the woman had been nearby and seen some of it.

The following days went by much like the first one, eventually turning into weeks. At times, Avani felt like she was betraying people that didn’t deserve it, people that had been there for her when she had needed money to survive. Other times, they pissed her off and she wanted to strangle a couple of them on the spot. All in all, it was genuinely entertaining work. Not the illegal parts of it, but the constant excitement that came with the fear that she could be discovered and murdered at any point. She might be sleeping with the fishes soon? Yay!

As the planned date of the gang’s big score grew close, there was a noticeable tension in the air at their hideout. People were on edge. Those in charge were particularly easy to anger during this time, but it only came to a few scuffles that didn’t result in anything more serious than bruises. It did make Avani question whether the gang was competent enough to pull of their plan to begin with. Sure, they would be stopped after they had attempted to rob the bank and found nothing because she was telling the police everything she could, but these arguments within the group itself didn’t inspire confidence.

On the day of the big score, Avani found herself a lot more relaxed than she had expected to be. She’d gotten through these weeks with her life intact, and now she only had one last thing left to do before getting paid. The gang would likely realize that they had been betrayed once they did enter the vault of the bank, found nothing and then got surrounded by the cops. She would get arrested with the rest of them, of course, but it was only a trick to make them all question who had betrayed them. Apparently it would help the pigs when interrogating them if they were already willing to sell out each other.

Avani would walk free, with her money and she could leave the city with Kasai. Assuming she could convince Kasai to take a prolonged vacation. The more she had thought about it during the last weeks, the more she felt like they both truly needed to get away from the city. They could certainly return one day if Kasai wanted too, but for now it was the decision she had come too. There were other cities and places to visit.

In the end, both the plan of the gang and the plan of the cops were executed a lot more smoothly than she had believed they would be. The gang was arrested after a fight that didn’t last particularly long. Avani enjoyed fighting the cops too much, so a few of those who got in her way was in some serious pain once she surrendered.

To their credit, they didn’t dock any of her pay due to it. She had figured there was a high possibility they would. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that there wasn’t much in the contract she had signed about beating up cops or resisting arrest. If she was to play a believable gang member she might need to be able to do both after all.

Avani did have to give a final statement the following day, but since she’d already told Kasai everything during the time she’d been undercover there wasn’t all that much to say which they didn’t know by then. She soon left the police station and found herself back in Kasai’s apartment.

“Well, I doubt the rest of the gang had as much fun as I did. Or that they will any time soon.” Avani said, sat down on the sofa and breathed out. “I’m slightly wealthy too, like right now in this moment. I doubt it will last once I start spending it. I never was good with money, not saving it anyway. I know how to spend it, mind you.”

“So…” Avani began, turning towards Kasai in the kitchen and feeling more nervous at that point than she had during most of her time with the gang. “Did you give my idea about traveling the world any more thought? It would be boring to leave you here…” They wouldn’t need to leave right away, but she wasn’t all that keen on staying much longer either. Partly because the gang could send someone to kill her even if they were in prison.

[The Kraken]

Surprisingly enough, the whole operation seemed to go off without a hitch. To Kasai's own surprise, Avani seemed to be fully cooperating with the department and the other officers involved in the ordeal. The process was more lengthy than anything, waiting for the gang to gather enough resources, finalize on their plans, do test runs and drive-by's... Kasai's part was fairly simple, sit outside on the bench drinking her coffee like she did every day before that.

Her stress level could be considered changed for both good and bad. She wasn't as worried with the full stresses her job usually put on her because now she only had to go in to the department to give reports and exchange intel. Other than that, she went home with Avani every night and left with her every morning. It was a routine she quickly became accustomed to.

On the other hand, now she had to worry about Avani's safety. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park to spy on a huge group of criminals that could kill you at even a sneaking suspicion that you were betraying them. Kasai sat outside everyday and breathed a sigh of relief each time she caught a glimpse of Avani still in one piece.

The final hurrah went over exceptionally smooth as well. Everything fell into place as it should have, and every member of the gang that was on hand that day was arrested, plus several more who were quickly ratted out by their comrades that were looking to strike a plea deal. The mission was documented successful, and everyone was allowed to go home a rest for a couple days.

During the weeks they spent together, Kasai continued to wave off Avani's idea of travelling the world each time she brought it up. It was an interesting and appealing idea for sure, but the likelihood that she would find herself in a position to do it was slim. Still, she gave it some thought when she found herself a quiet moment to think.

Now, faced with the question head-on she had a decision to make. Of course she let it come down to the last possible second to choose whether to stay or go. The fact that she hadn't even asked for any more time off from her superiors didn't help her in deciding either. Extended vacations were usually something bosses liked notice for. A lot of notice. And quitting wasn't an option for her, her service had already given her so much.

"Well..." Kasai scratched the back of her neck and looked at Avani. This wasn't going to end well. "I'd really love to, you know. Its just..." Kasai swallowed hard and tried to think, she really didn't want to turn Avani down on her offer but she didn't see a way for her to swing it. Unless...

"Don't you remember talking about how we should find someone to tell our story? Get the mayor to recognize what hell that was?" Kasai was rather impressed with herself for remembering the card that man had given her that day, the contact details for a rogue reporter. "Just think, if we could get the story out and get the sorry asshole to recognize or even reward our efforts. That would be the perfect send-off for a vacation."

And a perfect reason for the police department to reward her with some down time, maybe even offer an advance on her salary... the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to just leave and forget all of her responsibilities for a while. It was something she would never think of doing, which was maybe why the thought of it was so tantalizing.

[Engel]

A frown appeared on her face when Kasai began to try to talk her way out of it. She probably shouldn’t have expected too much from the proper cop to begin with, as if she could ever consider leaving her job unless she was directly ordered to do so by a superior. Avani scoffed when Kasai brought up the mayor and the newspaper thing they had talked about some weeks ago, thinking she was probably just looking to buy herself more time.

“Oh yeah, I remember.” Avani said with an insincere smile. “Funny that you should bring it up now though, it’s not like you didn’t have time to think of it before while I was living here.” She got up from the sofa, walked over to Kasai and placed herself behind her. “You know, babe, you could just have said no if you didn’t want to go. I would have understood.” She laid her head on Kasai’s shoulder and her arms around her stomach. “Now though… Well, now I’m gonna have to show you why I’ve earned my “bad girl crap” style if you go back on your word.” She tightened the embrace she held Kasai in. “You’ll go to sleep one night, then wake up bound and gagged in a strange place. Sure, that could be a fun way to start our vacation, but it’d still be kidnapping.”

Avani laughed, let go off Kasai and stepped back. “Don’t worry though, babe. I’ll kidnap you in a gentle manner.” She slapped the woman’s behind with her hand.

Leaning against the wall, Avani considered Kasai’s suggestion that they go to the newspaper with their story now. As long as she didn’t blurt
out how she had helped take down a gang, she didn’t see any harm in it. However, she was supposed to be in prison and people would start questioning why she was out so soon if they read the article. Supposedly she could try to be anonymous, but she really wanted their story to be accompanied by a photograph of them kissing. It would mean standing up for who she was in the most public manner.

“I suppose you’re right anyway. It would be best to tie up any loose ends here before I whisk you away for who knows how long.” Avani finally said. “Do you have a plan for getting our story out there? I’d suggest we start with that, but really I’m tired after all this stuff with betraying my acquaintances and I could use a shower.”

Avani headed for the bathroom, removed her shirt and threw it on the sofa. “If you want to do it soon, I guess we could discuss it more in the shower.”

[The Kraken]

Kasai frowned when Avani called her out on her bullshitting. Well, there goes that idea. On the plus side, Avani didn't seem to be too mad about it. Maybe because Kasai was sort of predictable and she probably knew her hesitation before she even opened her mouth. Way to go, detective... good thing this wasn't an undercover job or the kidnapping idea might be a little more threatening.

"Bound and gagged, huh? Sounds kinky." Kasai placed a kiss on Avani's head before she moved away. She was glad at least for the opportunity to explain herself and the idea, though. She may have attempted to use it as an excuse to avoid having to commit to leaving, but the idea in itself was still intriguing to her. Plus, they each stood to gain something from it if it all worked out.

She didn't have time to explain anything further before Avani was stripping clothes on her way to the shower. Kasai chuckled and shook her head before following her to the bathroom. If she wanted to talk, this was how the conversation had to happen, and at this point Kasai wasn't going to complain.

Kasai stepped into the bathroom after removing her clothes and found the space already beginning to fog up with steam. Joining Avani in the shower, she closed her eyes and let the water run over her for a moment before wiping the stream from her face.

"I have the contact information for a reporter who works stories independently." She began with no specific prompting. "I already tried the other local papers, no one will pick up the story because it conflicts with their own political interests. In other words, no one wants to be the one to call the mayor out." She shrugged, but nodded. "The guy who gave me the card seemed pretty confident that this reporter will work with us."

Kasai sighed now and looked at Avani, "And I want to go with you. I really do. I just... well, panicked. I'm not really good at committing to those kinds of decisions. But..." She smiled now and moved a step closer, "I've decided that you won't have to kidnap me. Unless you just really want to." A giggle escaped her and she grinned. "So, let's get this story crap over with and then hit the road. I'll make sure to tell my captain tomorrow morning." That part still didn't sit easy with her, but the thought of staying here with her same boring routine without Avani was a worse one.

[Engel]

Avani admired Kasai with a grin when the woman entered the shower with her. She had actually been serious about wanting a shower though, so for the moment she kept her hands to herself even if it may be considerably difficult to do so. Hell, she already had enough of a problem with keeping her hands off of Kasai when the woman was fully clothed.

She closed her eyes and relaxed under the flowing water, as Kasai began to explain her plan. It seemed as though the reporters in this city had no spines and were owned by the mayor, at least the way that Kasai talked about them. It didn’t surprise Avani at all.

“So everyone is corrupt except for one, huh?” Avani asked. “Gee, I never would have guessed, especially with such upstanding police officers. You’d think they would have inspired the reporters to do better.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’d love to meet the one person in this city that dares to be outspoken and isn’t corrupt.” She quickly decided to add something to her comments lest Kasai get pissed. “Other than you, of course, babe.”

Avani tensed up when she felt Kasai moving towards her, and she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes closed. The shower wasn’t all that big to begin with, and she could practically feel the heat emanating from the other woman’s body now. She yearned to be one with it.

“It’s fine, babe. I still adore you.” Avani said after clearing her throat. She swallowed hard when Kasai brought up the kidnapping once more.
The idea that she could do what she’d suggested made her blush some, as it had been more or less a joke made out to be a threat. Actually doing it could be an interesting and fun way to begin their vacation though. Kasai would be suspecting it, but she’d be unable to say much regarding the initial part of the journey which Avani would have to plan alone for it to be a surprise.

“Who knows, maybe I do really want to kidnap you.” Avani said, opened her eyes and turned towards Kasai. “I imagine you’d be very attractive bound and gagged as well.” She put a hand on Kasai’s shoulder, and let it slowly trail downwards along her body. “Yes, let’s get this over with.” She leaned into her, pressing their bodies together and giving her girlfriend a kiss that she didn’t want to end.

[The Kraken]

Kasai left the apartment early the next morning, headed for the police station. Even though she had been granted the next few days off for some R&R after the last assignment, she felt showing up to do this in person was better that any other way of approaching it. The whole drive over she had worried about what to say and how she should say it. When she pulled into the station she still didn't have a plan, but she put on a fake appearance of confidence and walked into her captain's office. Time to fake it til you make it.

The conversation went... surprisingly well. Kasai had come in expecting to disappoint her boss with her request but in fact he seemed a little relieved. That only made her more concerned.

"Look, Kasai. You're a good officer, you haven't taken an extra day off in the three years you've been here. Sure, we'll miss you around here. But you need to, well, to put it frankly... get a life. There's more out there than this job. And when you come back, the PD will still be here."

Kasai didn't know whether she should be offended or not. To her, it felt like deserting her moral obligation. But everyone else was glad for her, and kept telling her that a break was 'well deserved' or 'past due.' She told them all goodbye, filed her paperwork for her wages and such, and headed back to her car. Still, she felt strange leaving the one place she had dedicated the last few years of her life to. She only hoped that this would be good for her.

Kasai drove back to her apartment and entered quietly, not knowing if Avani would be up yet since it was still relatively early. She put her keys down and just sat on the couch for a few quiet moments. That was it. She didn't have any more obligation in Republic City other than to finish what she had started and then take off with her girlfriend.

It was a new concept that would take some getting used to, but she figured at least now she'll have plenty of time for that. Standing, she walked to the kitchen and shuffled stuff around trying to find that card the man had given her that day. Finding it in a drawer, she walked back to the bedroom and held the card in one had, with her other resting on her hip.

"Well, I'm free. Sergeant Inoshi is officially on extended leave from RCPD." She had a smile on her face that was stuck somewhere between sad and relieved as she walked over to her nightstand and opened up the drawer, placing her badge inside and closing it shut. Kasai held up the card in her hand, "But, there is still work to be done. One last hurrah before saying goodbye. So c'mon, we got places to be and people to see." Her earnest smile grew to a more genuine grin as she leaned down to kiss Avani.

"I'm gonna go call the number and let the reporter know we will be there today." Kasai took the card and went into the kitchen, dialing the number and finding a female voice on the other end of the line. It was a short conversation that consisted of a time and a place to meet, with little information given otherwise. Kasai hung up the phone and wrote down the meeting details on an old envelope.

[Engel]

Avani noticed in a half-awake state that Kasai was gone early the next morning. There was no one to spoon and hug close to herself when sleeping. After all these weeks they’d shared a bed it left her feeling empty, but she smiled. It was pleasant to have gotten used to sharing a bed with someone she liked. Soon she fell asleep again, too tired to question where Kasai was.

Some time later, she was uncertain of how long, Kasai returned to the bedroom with some good news. “Yay~” Avani muttered into a pillow, without moving or opening her eyes. She purred when Kasai leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. It almost made her eager to get out of bed and get their one final task over with before they went on vacation.

Thankfully, Kasai had yet to call the reporter so she had a small amount of time to remain in bed before she was going to be forced to wake up. Avani could hear Kasai talking with someone in the kitchen, and once she went silent she decided she had to get ready. She rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a thud, but she bounced back up on her feet. The clothes she got dressed in that morning were black and tight, with the intention to make an impression to this reporter, as threatening if nothing else. Kasai’s guard dog, she laughed to herself.

Avani walked out into the living room, and posed to Kasai to show off her muscles in the tight clothing. She wasn’t as impressive as she’d once been, but hopefully the vacation would come with some cool new athletic experiences. “I’m gonna look like she better write about us.” Avani said with a grin. “Or else.” The eyepatch and the tattooed arm would probably have sufficed on their own.

She laughed, then grabbed the keys to her motorcycle off of the table she’d put them on. “I’ll drive. Let’s hope they serve breakfast wherever we’re going.” She walked up, pressed herself against Kasai and snatched the envelope with a written address on it from her to see where she was supposed to drive them. “Oh, this is a café I think. Lovely.”

They headed out to her motorcycle, and locked the apartment after themselves. Avani drove them to the address in question, but it took longer than she had meant to because she didn’t really know the way as well as she had thought. They arrived eventually though. She parked her motorcycle against the sidewalk, and rushed into the café. She had gotten quite hungry by then, but with her newfound wealth she’d be able to order just about anything.

Avani took a table for them in the corner. “I’m guessing this reporter isn’t here yet?” She said while waving a waiter over to them. After looking over the menu for a second, she began to order. “Waffles, pancakes, two chicken sandwiches, and a house special.” She turned to Kasai. “Do you want anything, babe?”

[The Kraken]

Kasai let out a cat-call whistle when Avani came into the living room and raised her eyebrows. "Or else? She might try to steal you from me if there isn't an 'or else.'" She laughed but then grabbed her things and exited the apartment with Avani. Kasai couldn't help but poke fun at Avani's sense of direction as they took the scenic route to their destination.

They got there though, and safely at that. Kasai followed the eager earthbender into the restaurant and took her seat next to her. Glancing around, she shrugged at the question. "Guess not. We're a little early though." Another smile crept across her face as Avani ordered nearly the entire menu, but she held back the laugh threatening to escape. Shaking her head, she looked at the waiter. "I'll just have a coffee, please."

Checking the watch on her wrist, she looked around the small cafe again and knotted her brow. No one here looked like a reporter. Then again, maybe that was the point. Or maybe they got stood up just like all of the other news affiliates had done to her. She began bouncing her foot under the table nervously. The coffee wasn't going to help that. Oh well. She thanked the waiter and took a swig of the steaming liquid after adding two sugars to it.

"Alright, they should've been here by now. Let's eat and then-" Her speech was stopped when a figure moved to their table and took a seat across from them. A woman who couldn't be too much older than twenty looked up from under the hat atop her head and smirked.

"Leaving so soon, Sergeant?" The woman said before retrieving a notepad and pen from the bag she carried over with her. Kasai narrowed her eyes at the young woman, but sat back in her chair. How did the reporter already know her rank? Well, at least she proved her resourcefulness already. "I'm Naomi." She extended her hand across the table, "Nice to meet you, Kasai." This kid may turn out to be a better detective than Kasai if she keeps it up. Naomi turned to Avani and held her hand out, "And you are?"

After introductions, the girl clicked her pen and held it to the paper. "So, what can I do for you?"

Looking at the girl over the brim of her cup, Kasai took another drink. She was skeptical, but she swallowed her doubts. After all, this was the only real shot they'd had so far at getting anyone to listen to them.

"We've seen some shit. And we think people need to know about it. Apparently, though, our story is not in the 'best interest' of the mayor or his payoffs."

Naomi moved the pen across the paper, but Kasai couldn't see what she was writing. She didn't even have any information yet, what was so important already?

"So what you're saying is you want me to write a story and put it out for the entire city to see that they mayor isn't the great guy he's cracked up to be?" Well, there she goes knowing things before she even gets told them again. Still, Kasai nodded. Naomi tapped the pen on the notepad. "Well, what are you waiting for? Lay it on me."

[Engel]

Avani shrugged when Kasai decided to order nothing else than a coffee. “Suit yourself.” She said, and was sat waiting for her food while Kasai’s coffee was brought to her. It made her just a bit jealous, reminding her of how hungry she was. Her food was delivered to their table shortly after the reporter had taken her seat though. Avani began to stuff her face as soon as the plates were placed in front of her. Kasai could do the talking for them while Avani ate.

“Her girlfriend.” Avani answered with a mouth full of food that she opened to speak. She took Naomi’s hand and shook it rather forcefully. She figured it was better if the reporter couldn’t write down her name in an article, especially at this point in time when she was supposed to be
in prison. “I’d rather not tell you my real name.”

She returned to her food when Naomi asked what she could do for them, and let Kasai answer her. Eating was more interesting to her at the moment, and they made some great breakfasts at this café. Damn these pancakes were good, and the waffles, and the chicken sandwiches.

“Yup, that’s exactly what we’re saying.” Avani said during a moment that she had stopped eating. It was getting more difficult than expected to eat everything she had ordered, no matter how great it tasted, and she’d slowed down the speed with which she had been stuffing her face to a normal pace. “and it’d be in your best interest to do so.” She cracked her knuckles, and smiled at Naomi. The reporter had said she wanted them to lay it on her, so perhaps Avani was overdoing it by threatening her, but there was nothing wrong with a little extra encouragement either.

“Well, me and two friends were supposed to investigate this spirit forest as a team, right? Then the mayor sent a second team as well with a bunch of proper cops without telling us.” She sneered as she reminisced back to the day that they had set out, as Kasai was sitting right next to her though she had to add something flattering. She didn’t want to sound very negative about how things had turned for the worst almost immediately on that day. “I don’t like cops due to an incident some years back involving my mother and a dead pig, which got her thrown in jail. So I guess I’m biased. Anyway, I found Kasai attractive right away, she has a nice… chest area. We didn’t get along as you may understand, but after losing everyone else inside the spirit world we worked together to try to save at least two of them. The rest kind of died...”
She choked up at the memory of being there when her friends were killed and being unable to do anything. Avani returned her attention to her food to remind herself that she wasn’t in that situation right now and calm down. She didn’t feel like saying much else, but it wouldn’t be fair to let Kasai explain every detail as she must regret the event too.

“Long story short, we’re the only ones that survived the mission the mayor sent us on. We were six at first.”

[The Kraken]

"Don't slow down now, your food might run away." Kasai joked when Avani stopped to squeeze in a few nonchalant threats to the poor girl sitting across from them. She let Avani say her piece and simply sipped on her coffee. Oh, the irony. Not all that long ago they met on the edge of that forest and could not stand each other. Well, Avani at least admitted initial attraction. Kasai however had a little warming up to do.

Naomi kept steady eye contact as she listened, all the while her hand worked furiously at the notepad in her lap. A sideways glance was shot at Avani after she mentioned her mom being in jail over a dead cop. Well, that explains a lot. Kasai narrowed her eyes briefly, but decided to tuck the questions away for another time. They were here for a different reason now. Kasai had to clench her jaw and swallow hard when Avani got to the point of why they were here in the first place. She cleared her throat and let Avani turn her attention back to her food.

"There was a task force made to investigate some sort of disturbance in the forest where the spirits were residing. Apparently the Avatar was too busy to tend to it herself so the mayor sanctioned this volunteer mission." Kasai's shoulders shrugged and she continued. "They shouldn't have sent volunteers in there in the first place, we had no business messing with spirits." Trying to keep from getting too angered, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes ever so briefly.

"Like she said," her thumb stuck out to point at Avani, "out of six people, we were the only ones to come out of it alive. And barely at that." Sometimes she could still feel the ache in her leg, and her hand brushed over the scar on her face that would forever remind her of what happened.

Naomi looked from one woman to the other and back again. It was clear from their faces that whatever happened was something very serious, but what business did she have making it a public story?

"I see what you've been through was pretty damaging. But, and no offense here, what exactly do you think this will gain for you? Other than the mayor clearly didn't know what kind of danger he was sending you in to, I don't see how this could be politically damaging or personally gainful."

At that moment, the thought of launching a fireball straight across the table at the young woman's face crossed Kasai's mind. Incredibly, she was able to restrain herself. Fearing that Avani was probably about to jump across the table to strangle the girl herself, Kasai put a hand on the woman's leg and squeezed. Next, she tuned that fire-beam glare of hers at the young reporter and kept her voice low and steady.

"When we got back, there was no 'Thank you for your service.' There was no 'sorry for your loss.' Were there city representatives at the funeral? No. Not even one damn flower was sent. The mayor knew damn well what happened in there and that four people died trying to serve this city. But he never even acknowledged their existence. We are not hoping to 'gain' anything. We want the recognition and respect our friends deserve from that scumbag uptown."

Kasai did not blink once, and the expression on the girl's face changed to one that reflected the severity of the situation. Naomi slowly nodded and looked at the pair again. "Okay. I understand now. I want to help you with this, but if I am going to make a compelling story, I'm going to need all of the difficult details."

Kasai was afraid of that. What she needed was something stronger than coffee to help her get through the tragic recounting, but they were already here and already worked up.

"I hope you have enough paper." Kasai said before she stopped the waiter to fill her coffee mug. A few more moments to prepare herself for the emotions to come, and then she started tracing back the details of that horrifying day.

[Engel]

Avani ate while listening to Kasai add her own details to their shared story, merely nodding every now and then. It wasn’t until the reporter spoke up and told them that she didn’t think there was anything for them to gain on the story that Avani left her food alone for a moment. She wiped her mouth on a napkin, trying to think of what they would get out of this in the end. It had been Kasai’s suggestion so she’d gone with it, but would it really help them or their friends? Probably not, and the dead wouldn’t care either way. She was surprised when Kasai squeezed her leg. Did she really think Avani would beat the reporter up over nothing in a café filled with people?

She was pretty sure that Kasai was more likely than herself to attack the reporter at that point. The fire in her eyes and her creepily calm voice hinted at it. Good points, Avani thought to herself after her girlfriend had stated a list of reasons why they wanted this article to be written. She didn’t like the idea that they were in a way pleading with the mayor to show their friends respect, not when each of their lost ones had been better individuals than him. The idea that they would stand up against corruption or throw dirt had appealed to her more.

“How could it not be politically damaging?” Avani asked and scoffed. “Did he bribe the entire city or something? Four people died on what was supposed to be a routine mission, and you think it wouldn’t hurt him politically? I must have missed something, or you should definitely stay out of politics with such poor understanding.”

Avani had never had much interest in politics, but from what she had seen potential candidates or different sides would use literally anything to make the public think less of their opponents. Their story wasn’t made up, and it should be possible to use it as a powerful weapon. All someone had to do was pick it up.

She was about to follow up with more threats, how Avani liked to please her girlfriend and if the reporter didn’t write the article like Kasai wanted her to do she might have trouble walking for the next month. Turned out there was no need for that as the reporter was willing to do it, as long as she was told the details. Avani sighed. It wasn’t something either of them wanted to talk about.

Avani turned to the waiter when Kasai had stopped her. They’d be here a while if they were going to go into details, so she ordered a large glass of juice and some dessert for herself. She didn’t drink coffee, it wasn’t healthy. She filled in with her own perspective on the details whenever Kasai paused, and sometimes she cut in at the middle if something had been mistakenly left out. Eventually she sat leaned back in the sofa with an arm around Kasai to comfort her, and the juice glass in her other hand.

[The Kraken]

It took an hour, maybe even two, to get through the long, grueling details of the mission they were sent on that day. At times Kasai had to stop, gather her thoughts for a moment before recounting a particularly difficult piece of the story. Other parts made her smile at the memory. After all, not everything that day had started out so bad.

Naomi nodded her head as she listened to the two women retell the story through their own eyes. Every once in a while she would interject with a question to make the details more clear for her to write down, but for the most part she kept quiet and allowed the two to run the conversation themselves. It turned out that there was in fact plenty of information here that was useful, especially for making a gripping story for the paper the next day.

Finally, the story came to its sickening conclusion. Two barely breathing and four dead. For several moments after the ending of the story, there was a stillness around the table. Kasai stared down at the black liquid that filled the cup in her hand, reminding her of the ebony substance that took two of their friends that day. Afterwards, she would have thought her heart be as black as the coffee with grief. Luckily, though, she had Avani to save her from focusing on that sadness.

Naomi stared at the pad in her lap. Pages were filled with notes scribbled here and there, a huge unorganized outline for the story she would go home and begin writing after she left this cafe. There were just a few more things she needed from the couple.

"I think I have everything I need here to make a compelling story for you two. I'll be honest, after listening to all of the details I agree with wanting to get your story out. At least make the mayor squirm once people start asking questions about his morality." Naomi began to put her things away, but she pulled out a blank piece of paper and handed it to Kasai.

"I'll have this story ready to go for print tonight. When I decide which paper to run it through, I'll give you a call. Just write down a number I can contact you at here."

Kasai wrote down her telephone number and handed it back to the young reporter. Seemed like she wasn't so bad after all, despite Kasai's initial concerns.

"Great. Now, one last thing. A front page story needs a front page picture to go along with it. You two mind stepping outside so we can grab a photo? Better lighting and backdrop." Naomi stood and waved over in the opposite corner of the restaurant, where a man sat wearing a similar hat to the one Naomi had on. "C'mon, Jo. Picture time."

The man stood from his table, tossed some money down, and grabbed the large camera that apparently had been sitting next to him. Well, so much secrecy around this young reporter. Still, Kasai nodded and stood, also tossing some money on the table for her coffee. The reporter and photographer made their way outside, and Kasai waited for Avani.

"C'mon, this was the part you were most excited about, remember?" She smiled and looked towards the door. "We can take this picture and then get out of here, unless you'd like to order more food of course." Kasai teased, but felt relieved that they had finally told someone else their story. It felt better to get it off of her chest. "We just need to wait until tomorrow and see what the public reaction is I guess." Once Avani joined her, Kasai made her way outside to pose for the photograph.

[Engel]

Avani was glad when they had finally told the whole story, hopefully it would be the last time they had to remember what happened, but there was a silence at the table that she didn’t enjoy. She’d finished her food and dessert a while ago, and the atmosphere ruined any further appetite she might have had. She was glad when the reporter broke the silence though. She wasn’t sure what she should have said herself, as much as she may have wanted to cheer Kasai up someone would have needed to help her first.

The reporter made it sound as if she had any choice what paper to go with, yet none of the papers that Kasai had contacted had wanted to run the story from what she had been told. Avani was already questioning the reporter after her comment about politics, but now she was becoming seriously suspicious of her. It seemed as if she was lying to them or making stuff up as she went along. There shouldn’t be much of an existing choice for her regarding who published the story.

She didn’t like that there had been a man nearby that the reporter knew for the last hours either. He hadn’t introduced himself to them. He’d been sitting a distance away likely just observing and listening in on the conversation. Was any of them a bender of some kind? Did Naomi had more friends around that she hadn’t bothered introducing?

“Yeah, I know.” Avani said. “But I don’t like her or this. Do you not think she’s odd? Some of the things she says doesn’t add up from my point of view. Are you sure these people are on our side?” She asked, hesitant to get up and take a picture for this reporter and photographer. “If it turns out that she’s been lying as much as I think she has, then I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up in a hospital soon.” That result could be caused by Avani herself, or someone else who had enough of the woman.

Avani stood up, walked over to the waiter behind the counter and paid for the food she’d eaten. She also paid for Kasai’s coffee before heading outside. “Let’s get this over with then, but I still don’t like her.” Avani said to Kasai, without any attempt at concealing her words from the two individuals waiting for them.

“I’d rather not take a photo that shows too much of my face.” She said, turned to Kasai and buried her face against her chest and neck. “Put your arms around me. You’ll look like some kind of hero.” Avani whispered, laughed and moved Kasai’s hands to rest on her behind.

She did pose for more pictures, but in all of them she tried to be as clingy or loving to Kasai and her body as possible. If anyone saw the photographs they took, she hoped that it wouldn’t immediately occur to them who she was, only that they were both women.

[The Kraken]

Kasai couldn't help but chuckle at Avani's display for the photos. Granted, she probably shouldn't be plastering her face all over the media when she was supposedly locked up with the rest of the gang, but it was still enjoyable. People passing by on the sidewalk gave varying reactions to the display, but Kasai ignored them and just did whatever the photographer said to make the picture come out decently.

After a few more shots and a couple of hand shakes, the ordeal was over with. Naomi promised to call Kasai as soon as she had the information she needed, but at this point Kasai wasn't even sure they should have gone through with the idea. It sounded great when she was fired up about it, but now she had to wonder if it was the right decision. After the reporter and photographer left, Kasai turned to Avani.

"You're right, there's something off about them. It was our only shot considering, though now I'm wondering if we should have bothered with it at all." Kasai knew that last comment would earn her an 'I told you so' from Avani, but she didn't mind. Maybe they were both being too paranoid, too careful. At this point, she was ready to get it all over with and take off on their little adventure. Maybe getting away from the city and taking a break from real life would keep her mind from all these trivial things. She mentally kicked herself for overthinking things yet again.

"Well who knows, maybe the Mayor will give us some shiny medal or something. Not that it would mean much considering he hasn't given us one thus far. At the very least, we can check making it in the papers off of the bucket list." Kasai gave a cheesy grin and a thumbs up, hoping Avani wasn't too bummed out still. Kasai was tired of being bummed and wanted to get her mind on to other things.

"Well, come on hon. Let's go and do something to wait this thing out, unless there's something else you'd like to spend some of your hard earned cash on." Kasai gave her another smile and waited to see what they would be doing to kill the time.